Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Julian Skalski 1915-1947

Julian J. Skalski was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, November 2, 1915, the second son of Stanslaw and Michalina Skalski. Julian graduated from Northeast High School and Drexel Institute of Technology before entering the U. S. Army during World War II. He rose to the rank of Master Sergeant and was in a Army B-17 flying over Chesapeake Bay on a bomb test run. The test bomb was released from the airplane at about 1,000 feet an had fallen about 65 to 70 feet from the plane when it prematurely exploded, ripping the airplane severely. Lt. Whitney gave the bail out signal and one man parachuted from the plane. It will never be known why Sgt. Skalski and eight other men never jumped from the B-17. Sgt. Skalski died on Monday, September 15, 1947 leaving behind his wife Bernice Skalski and two sons.